Saturday, August 29, 2009

Urban Arts Oasis I

A commissioned project for a local arts governing body. Garnering both extensive off-site and on-site studies, a practical design approach was adopted to both conserve as much of the existing building as possible, whilst energising the facility as an ideal venue for urban cultural and artistic activities.

Within an urban centralised location, the project site yielded an immense potential to be a hub beyond addressing the programmtic concerns, and to be an oasis locale to the downtown financial zone which is largely devoid of both cultural and artistic energies come sunset.

The building is likened to an urban vehicle that attempts to engage the weary urbanites, a building that speaks beyond the protracted boundary.  Extended circular motifs that seemingly bleeds from the form mimic the speech bubbles of a comic strip, of which users can interpret with their own texts and whimsies.